Garment



June 6, 1961 H. M. SCHUDSON GARMENT Filed May 5, 1958 INVENTOR. How/m0 M. 0/005011 BY Arroeus j United States Patent 2,986,740 GARMENT Howard M. 'Schudson, Milwaukee, Wis., "assignor to Crown Prince, Inc., Milwaukee, Wis., a corporation of Wisconsin Filed May 5, 1958, Ser. No. 733,159 1 Claim. (Cl. 2-115) This invention relates generally to wearing apparel and finds particular utility in shirts or the like that are used for sports, such as bowling and golfing, where complete freedom of arm movement is desirable.

In garments of this general type it is desirable to provide a fairly snug yet resilient fit around the waist and upper body of the wearer and at the same time permit complete freedom of movement of the arm and shoulder from the beginning to the delivery end of the swing. Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide such a garment.

The invention provides a garment having a shoulder folded insert or hide-a-way pocket that combines both woven and resilient knit goods in such a manner as to provide a snug and neat appearance and still insures complete freedom of arm movement between the extreme limits thereof. The construction is such that it provides a fullness directly behind the shoulder and under the arms. This fullness is provided by the collapsible pocket which is made up of both woven and elastic panels and which are brought into operation by tension on the garment but at other times is concealed.

The invention provides a novel hidden or foldable pocket construction which opens to provide fullness in a garment, which pocket compri es, at least in part, a stretchable material which in itself also provides stretching or fullness in the garment.

A more specific aspect of the invention is to provide a shirt or the like having a pleated pocket of the above type which together with a side panel of elastic knitted material permits considerable stretching of the garment continuously from adjacent the top of the shoulder down to the waist. The entire side of the garment stretches and permits complete freedom of movement for the wearer. When there is no longer any tension on the garment it is completely restored to its contracted position. It is generally an object of the present invention to provide a garment having a neat appearance and one which is economical to manufacture.

These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will appear later as this disclosure progresses, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary rear 'view of a garment embodying the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary view of the rear of the shirt from the inside thereof and showing the collapsible or hide-a-way pocket;

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary side view of the garment shown in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 4 is a side view of the garment shown in FIGURE 1, but on a reduced scale, showing it in the stretched position, as when the arm of the wearer is fully extended in a follow through movement; and

FIGURE 5 is a cross sectional view taken on line 5--5 of FIGURE 1, but on an enlarged scale.

Referring in greater detail to the drawings, the garment shown for illustrative purposes is a shirt and comprises a front panel 7, rear panel 8 and a shoulder yoke 9. The rear panel and yoke are sewed together at 10. A relatively short, set-in upper sleeve 11 is stitched at 12 to the shoulder yoke and to the front panel 7 as at 13. The panels, shoulder yoke and sleeve are of non-stretchable or woven fabric.

2,986,740 Patented June 6, 1961 The front and rear panels are secured together along each of their side edges 15 and 16, respectively, by'an insert 17 of ribbed knitted material which preferably is of one-Way elastic construction. This elasticized material 17 is also sewed at its upper ends to the sleeve 11, as at 18 and provides for stretching in a generally horizontal direction.

Another insert 20 of similar ribbed knit material is connected to the side insert 17 by a seam 21 and extends upwardly to a point where it is sewed to the shoulder yoke as at 22. This insert 20 is also sewed at 23 to the sleeve 11.

A woven insert 24 is of generally similar shape to insert20 except that it terminates along one-of itsedges'ZS where it is sewed to back panel 8. This =woven insert 24 -is also sewed into the'seam 22 at its upper end andis sewed to the knitted insert 20 along both the coextensive edges -26'and-27 of both inserts 20-a11d 24. V

The seams 16 and 21 are joined along a portion of their lengths to form a single seam from point 28 to point 29. That is to say, the side insert 17, back panel 8, knit insert 20 and the woven insert 24 are all secured together along this portion of these seams.

It should also be noted that from point 29 to point 30, the back panel 8, insert 20 and insert 24 are all sewed together.

The inserts 20 and 24 thus cooperate to provide a pleat forming a hide-a-way pocket therebetween which has an opening that extends from point 30 to the shoulder yoke. One side of this foldable pocket is of woven material while the other side is of stretchable knit fabric.

It will be noted that a band of knit fabric extends continuously from the shoulder yoke down to the waist.

When the arm of the wearer is in the normal or unstretched position, the hide-a-way pocket lies flat against the body of the wearer, as shown in FIGURES l and 3.

However, when the arm is stretched, as at the end of the delivery of a bowling ball or at the follow through position of a golf swing, the garment, and particularly the pocket, assume the position shown in FIGURE 4. In this situation, the ribbed inserts 17 and 20, are both stretched. More freedom of movement is required adjacent the arm 11 than near the waist and the pocket unfolds to provide for this additional give in the garment.

It will be noted that both inserts 17 and 20 are effective to stretch in a generally horizontal direction in the general area where they lie alongside one another. That portion of the insert 20 located within the pocket and below the point 30 is restrained from stretching by the back panel 8. However, this lower portion of the pocket does provide additional material so as to permit a considerable amount of stretch in the remaining portion of insert 20 and permits the pocket to open completely. When the tension is relieved on the garment, this construction provides an orderly and complete return of the pocket, and garment in general, to the folded and retracted position.

With the present construction complete freedom of movement of the garment is provided across the shoulders by the combined action of the pocket and the stretchable insert 20. The bottom portion of the pocket does not stretch directly along the lines of greatest tension but this portion is pulled up by the stretching action of the remaining portion of insert material 20 and thereby provides additional material or give so as to contribute to the complete opening action of the pocket and full stretching of the material 20.

The side panels 17 provide for stretch across the chest and waist. Both of the inserts 17 and 20 act together in the general area of their point of junction to provide freedom of movement in that intermediate zone adjacent the arm pit.

Various modes of carrying out the invention are contemplated as being within the scope of the following claim particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which is regarded as the'invention.

I claim:

In a sleeved garment having front and back panels and a transverse shoulder yoke all formed of relatively nonstretchable fabric, elongated laterally stretchable but longitudinally relatively non-stretchable inserts of knit material interposed between and secured to the adjacent side edges of said panels and extending only from the waist-line to the arm-pits where their upper ends terminate and are secured directly to the adjacent sleeves, and a foldable pocket extending from the upper end portion of each of said inserts upwardly between the upper rear jacent elongated insert, and each pocket also having a separate inner insert of relatively non-stretchable fabric secured along one side edge directly to the adjacent side edge of said back panel while its opposite side edge is connected directly to the opposite side edge of the adjacent rib-knit pocket insert and its upper and lower ends are secured respectively directly to said shoulder yoke and to said back panel.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,169,256 Grimm et a1. Ian. 25, 1916 2,401,591 Trinkel June 4, 1946 2,457,356 Enck Dec. 28, 1948 2,696,617 Worcester Dec. 14, 1954 FOREIGN PATENTS 269,782 Switzerland Oct. 16, 1950 855,532 Germany Nov. 13, 1952 1,064,240 France Dec. 23, 1953 

